Too Bad
by discordchick
Summary: Bulma and Vegeta are having some trouble at home and Trunks and Bra arn't taking it so well. Will Vegeta be persuaded to come back home after he leaves in anger!
1. Chapter 1

Too Bad  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ.although if Vegeta were real he'd be mine, and if I had a record label I'd own 'Too Bad' by Nickelback!!!  
  
****************************************  
  
Fathers hands were lined with dirt  
  
From long days in the field  
  
And mothers hands are serving meals  
  
In a cafe on Main Street  
  
With mouths to feed  
  
Just trying to keep clothing on our backs  
  
And all I hear about is  
  
How it's so bad, it's so bad  
  
Trunks and Bra sat on the floor in Trunks room last one night watching TV. The volume was turned up all the way as to mute the sound of screaming and shouting from right above the room. Now-a-days Bulma and Vegeta were always making that kind of noise. Screaming, shouting, yelling, and the sound of things breaking as Bulma had a throwing fit wasn't that unusual. Trunks tried not to look at the ceiling as his fan shook. Bra's face was red from crying, but her eyes were planted solely on the TV screen. Trunks hated to see his little sister like this. She was usually so happy and bouncing up and down singing at the top of her lungs. But it was night now and they both couldn't get to sleep like most days during the past two months.  
  
He looked into her face and saw an unbelievable sadness. Trunks knew what she was thinking. She had told him what she thought of the fights a few weeks after they began. She thought that mommy and daddy didn't love each other anymore; that she had done something wrong, and that daddy would leave. Trunks keep trying to tell her that they loved her very much and they just liked to fight about little things, but she wasn't convinced and frankly neither was he.  
  
It's too bad, it's too bad  
  
Too late, so wrong, so long  
  
It's too bad that we had no time to rewind  
  
Let's walk, let's talk  
  
Let's talk  
  
When Trunks woke up the next morning he was on the floor because Bra had fallen asleep on his bed. He quietly got dressed and packed his things for school before rousing Bra. As he walked into the hall from his room he purposely avoided the living room and went straight to the kitchen dad had taken to sleeping on the coach even though they house had 82 rooms and 60 of which were guest rooms. Trunks was troubled by his parents change in attitude almost as much as Bra but kept it a little better hidden. He knew that he had to be strong for Bra.  
  
Just then little Bra sauntered into the room and sat at the table as Trunks started to make two extremely big bowls of cereal. As Trunks set down a bowl of cocoa puffs in front of Bra he thought back to the past. The fighting had started only 2 months ago but it seemed like 2 years. After Bra was born everything was starting to get back to normal. Bulma had gone back to president of Capsule Corp. and Vegeta had resumed his earlier training regiment. Things actually improved after that. Vegeta and Bra had a tight bond and he seemed to realize that he didn't have the same thing with Trunks, so he started spending more time with him. Whither it was in the gravity room or driving them to school you could defiantly tell that he was making an effort.  
  
You left without saying goodbye  
  
Although I'm sure you tried  
  
You call the house from time to time  
  
To make sure we're alive  
  
But you weren't there  
  
Right when I needed you the most  
  
And now I dream about it  
  
How it's so bad, it's so bad  
  
After Trunks took Bra to elementary school he drove to Orange Star High School and parked his car in the student parking lot. The only reason that he bothered to go to school anymore was the time away from the fighting was good for him. Other than that it was like he wasn't even at school anymore. His grades had started slipping and he hadn't told his parents yet. He actually didn't plan to. His teachers had also noticed his change in attitude and all6 of them had called a parent teacher conference, but being the son of a rich well-to-do family always had it's advantages. He just told them that his mom was on a business trip or was very busy with all her work and would make plans to be there next time. He had really never lied before but he couldn't bring himself to talk to his parents.  
  
When he got home after school he could hear his parents already at it again. It was only the afternoon. He and Bra liked to do their homework outside at the picnic table in the backyard. Trunks could help Bra with her homework and he could study in peace. Suddenly he heard the sliding glass door on his parent's balcony open. When he looked up to see his Vegeta walking out onto the balcony followed closely by Bulma.  
  
"Fine!" Vegeta yelled "You Know I don't even need to be here. I don't know why I've put up with you for so long."  
  
" Neither do I!" Bulma screamed right back at him "If you go I don't want you to come crawling back to me."  
  
"Fine I won't!"  
  
With that said and done Vegeta turned his back to her and flew of into the distance. Trunks stood up from the table as his father dissapered into the distance. He never thought that it would happen; he knew that his parents had their tense moments but he never thought that his dad would actually leave them. Dad, please, don't leave.  
  
It's too bad, it's too bad  
  
Too late, so wrong, so long  
  
It's too bad that we had no time to rewind  
  
Let's walk, let's talk  
  
Let's talk  
  
It's too bad, it's too bad  
  
Too late, so wrong, so long  
  
It's too bad that we had no time to rewind  
  
Let's walk, let's talk  
  
Let's talk  
  
Father's hands are lined with guilt  
  
For tearing us apart  
  
Guess it turned out in the end  
  
Just look at where we are  
  
Made it out, still got clothing on our backs  
  
And now I scream about it  
  
How it's so bad, it's so bad  
How it's so bad, it's so bad  
  
It's too bad, it's too bad  
  
Too late, so wrong, so long  
  
It's too bad that we had no time to rewind  
  
Let's walk, let's talk  
  
Let's talk  
No time, let's walk, let's talk  
  
************************************************  
  
HI HI!!! I had lotts of fun writing this story. This is my second fanfiction and I feel like an author already. So please, if you have the time for little ol' me please write me a review. Good or bad.I enjoy getting them. HEHE!!! 


	2. Chapter 2

Someday  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or my 3rd favorite band Nickelback or their song 'Someday' (1st favorite Evanescence, 2nd 3 Doors Down). I'm really sorry that it has taken 4 months for me to get another chapter out but I'm one of those people who does 1 parters and one parters only.The Torture of the Professor (so far my only multiple chapter fanfic) has turned out to be a dud with readers so I'm going to try my hand at my serious side once again. Enjoy!  
  
P.S: I didn't specify in the last chapter how old Trunks and Bra were. SO lets make Trunks umm 18 and Bra 6!!! Trunks is working in Capsule Corp. as a job away from school which for him is in the summer and Bra is in 2nd grade.  
  
**********************************  
  
How the hell did we wind up like this  
  
Why weren't we able  
  
To see the signs that we missed  
  
And try to turn the tables  
  
I wish you'd unclench your fists  
  
And unpack your suitcase  
  
Lately there's been too much of this  
  
Don't think its too late  
  
It was a quite day in the living residence in Capsule Corp. and on the outside absolutely nothing was wrong, but on the inside little Bra sat on the coach watching TV, Trunks was in his fathers gravity chamber and walking by the master bedroom on the second level someone's pitiful voice can be heard.sobbing. It's been a month since Vegeta left the Briefs household and it was getting harder and harder to live in the house without hearing someone crying. The whole family was taking the change of pace and atmosphere for the worse and it was getting harder for everyone to hide the distress.  
  
Bulma curled up on her king sized bed, the same as most weekends, crying. She knew that she should be over it by now, but the fact that he was gone was just too much to handle. The fact that he could leave her so easily, leave her on a whim, tore her apart. She kept trying to force herself to deny it, but she will always love him with all her heart and soul. She felt connected to that man, of coarse it was probably just that bond between them. Vegeta could be so stubborn sometimes. If it was any other man they would be back begging for forgiveness by now, but Vegeta isn't any ordinary man. He's the handsome Prince of all Saiyans and she loves him.  
  
Nothin's wrong  
  
just as long as  
  
you know that someday I will  
  
She heard from Chi chi that Goku had been going out a few times a week to without telling her and coming back later that night with bumps and bruises. She assumed it was to spar with Vegeta. He could be pretty rough when he was having some kind of trouble. He was probably somewhere in the desert destroying rocks during the days, after all he wouldn't let anyone or anything halt his training regiment. Bulma had thought about going out there and dragging him back by his hair but it wouldn't work, he wouldn't budge without getting some kind of an apology out of her. So she'd just stayed here and had been trying to go on with her life like nothing had happened. She was completely oblivious to everything right not as she stopped sobbing her worries away and thought back to her troubled children who weren't having much of a better time with the unofficial divorce than she was.  
  
Someday, somehow  
  
gonna make it allright but not right now  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
(You're the only one who knows that)  
  
Someday, somehow  
gonna make it allright but not right  
now  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
The ground shook beneath the house whenever Trunks powered up to avoid a blast or flew threw the air in the gravity room. He was training almost as intensely as his father had when he was here, breaking new barriers of strength in that same gravity defying room. This room held most of the memories he had of his father. Memories of training, none stop training, and in the past few years more memories of training with him. Vegeta would always beat him shamelessly but it was worth it to get to spend some more time with him. He was never good with the concept of father son bonding but Trunks found that in a spar Vegeta would really open up to him.  
  
He had been doing a lot better at school lately. He had to. Even though he had been worried about his dad and the occasional tremor of the earth, which he knew very well was caused by Vegeta's vigorous training, he and his sister had gotten more sleep and had to be strong for their mother. Trunks had to make his usual good grades as not to worry her.  
  
Trunks thought about tracking him down a few times, asking him to come back home so they could be a family like they always were. If he did this he might even need to bring Bra along. He always seemed to be more susceptible to persuasion whenever Bra was around. It was probably because Bra was special; he was there for her birth, unlike Trunk's birth when he went to train in space.  
  
Well I hoped that since we're here anyway  
  
We could end up saying  
  
Things we've always needed to say  
  
So we could end up stringing  
  
Now the story's played out like this  
  
Just like a paperback novel  
  
Lets rewrite an ending that fits  
  
Instead of a hollywood horror  
  
Inside the Briefs house Bra watched the gravity chamber through the window in the kitchen. Every time that her older brother went to train, which was becoming increasingly more often, she would get up from the TV and watch the window. Maybe her dad would feel Trunks training and come home, maybe for good. She had always adored her parents; her mom because she was always giving her compliments about how much they look alike, how she would become even more beautiful than her one day and taking care of her every need. Her father because of how nice he was to her when he wasn't nice to a lot of other people. He had always protected her; beating up people who made her cry and making her feel safe by his very presence.  
  
But the father that she looked up to had abandoned her months ago. He left after a fight with mommy one day and had never come back. Bra missed him dearly and wished everyday that he would stroll through the front door like nothing was wrong. It hadn't been the case so far but she knew that she would never give up hope.  
  
Nothin's wrong  
  
just as long as  
  
you know that someday I will  
  
Bra was having a difficult time adjusting to a life where Vegeta didn't take her to school in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon. Her mom had started going to work later to take her in the morning and Trunks took off early to pick her up. They told her when she asked that they didn't know how long that this rough schedule would last. They didn't even try to comfort her and say whenever dad gets back. They just continued to drive her to and from school everyday. Her life had become a schedule of school television and sleep. She didn't like it but she knew that the whole family had some kind of schedule to keep them going.  
  
Someday, somehow  
  
gonna make it allright but not right now  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
(You're the only one who knows that)  
  
Someday, somehow  
  
gonna make it allright but not right now  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
(You're the only one who knows that)  
  
200 miles from the West City capital the wind was blowing harder than usual. There were ferocious sandstorms hissing in the wind as another explosion could be heard from a distance. Vegeta, mighty prince of the Saiyans, stood alone in the middle of a crater. The crater was located in the desert south of his residence and close to the little camp that he was currently making his home. It was the same thing for 3 months; he would start his day stretching, then hunt for his food for the day which of coarse was raw animals, train for the rest of the day and have dinner even if he didn't catch anything for that day.  
  
Vegeta was living the same day by day with Goku visiting to train every once in awhile. Regardless of what Vegeta told him he was homesick lonely and just plain tired of fighting with Bulma and with himself. He would fly home at top speed right then if his pride would allow it. If he went home he would be surrendering his last ounce of pride to his women and he wouldn't allow it. He was the one to leave and she would be the on to come crawling, begging for him to come back home to her and the children. The children. Oh how he missed them. They had made his day for the so many years that it was quite an adjustment not to get up in the morning and yell for Trunks to get up. But he managed and will continue to.  
  
What he really missed though was Bulma. He missed her not being there for him. She was the only one who ever really understood him, her and Goku. So he wasn't worried that she would eventually come to him. She knew that he wouldn't come back on his own so she would have to bring him back. He loved her and she knew it even if he never spoke the words. Before the dreaded fights between them began they had always led a healthy relationship of arguments and make up sessions. But then they stopped making up and he had left.just like that one day during another heated fight.  
  
He would go back. He had to. Just not today.  
  
How the hell did we wind up like this  
  
Why weren't we able  
  
To see the signs that we missed  
  
And try to turn the tables  
  
Now the story's played out like this  
  
Just like a paperback novel  
  
Lets rewrite an ending that fits  
  
Instead of a hollywood horror  
  
Nothin's wrong  
  
just as long as  
  
you know that someday I will  
  
Someday, somehow  
  
gonna make it allright but not right now  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
(You're the only one who knows that)  
  
Someday, somehow  
  
make it allright but not right now  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
(You're the only one who knows that)  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
(You're the only one who knows that)  
  
I know you're wondering when 


	3. REVIEW PLEASE!

HEY!!! What's up with all you meanies? I have reviewed over 200 people's stories and absolutely no one has reviewed this story that have taken the time to write for my viewers during my precious thanksgiving break.I makes me want to curl into a little ball and bawl my hair out!!! So pleazzzzzzzz please review!!! I really like it when people review my stuff; it makes me feel wanted by everyone!!! ^_^ Peace Out!!!  
  
Love,  
Amanda/discordchick 


	4. Chapter 3

Here Without You  
  
Disclaimer: I, the beautiful intelligent discordchick/Amanda, do not own the show and concept of Dragonball Z no do I own the band formally know as 3 Doors Down, my 2nd favorite band. The song is called 'Here Without You' and I would know because I just bought their new CD, Away From The Sun which was really good and I think everyone who likes them should buy it cause the song Away from the sun, which they call their masterpiece, a masterpiece! YEAH!!! So here is the...3rd chapter to Too Bad cause of the author's note for the other 3rd chapter! Hehe, enjoy and remember...I love R- E-V-I-E-W-S!!!  
  
P.S. I've had a lot of people review my stories and write me emails to update this story and The Torture of the Professor. In case you didn't know I updated that story about 2 weeks ago with chapter 3 and will hopefully have the 4th and final chapter ready soon as well. Also I wasn't actually planning to update that one cause I thought it sucked and I was this close to deleting it from my story list when chanie12357 review and told me how good my story was. So that's just a little reminder that I love reviewers and they inspire me and keep me motivated with the reviews!!! ^.^ Thanks to Vegeta's baby sister/chanie12357 for inspiring me to get over my writer's block and finish this chapter...hehe I know I'm slow.  
  
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A hundred days had made me older  
since the last time that I saw your pretty face  
  
A thousand lies have made me colder  
and I don't think I can look at this the same  
  
But all the miles that separate  
  
They disappeared now when I'm dreaming of your face  
  
"Bra..." Trunks Briefs whispered to his little sister who was sleeping soundly in her bed. It was another day and time to get dressed for Kindergarten. Trunks sighed inwardly as Bra flung a pillow at his head and turned over. He looked at the wall behind him to discover a small dent in the wall, no doubt made by her young half-Saiyan force. "Bra I'm not in the mood! Come on, big bro has a Physics test today!"  
  
"NO!" She screamed flinging her stuffed pig hitting him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. "I'm too tired to go to school and Mrs. Thomas hates me!" Trunks, having enough, threw Piggy across the room and picked her up to get her dressed.  
  
"NONONONONO!" Bra yelled the entire time as he took out some school cloths, not letting her down, as he put the cloths on the bed. He set her down glared down at her as tears started pouring down defiantly.  
  
"When I come back in ten minutes you had better be dressed and ready to eat Breakfast or I'll tell mom how much of a good girl you've been at school this week!" Trunks knew he struck it right when she cringed and looked down at the floor. Bra had been starting fights at school the past week and failing in school for the past 6. Bra had always been used to being the princess of the family and since all that had changed and she wasn't getting near as much attention as usual she stopped caring about pleasing the family and being the good girl she was always expected to be. Trunks slammed her door and ran down the stairs to make cereal before she came out of her room. He knew that Bra had too much pride not to prove him wrong and come out earlier than expected. Everything had changed over the past three months since that man had been gone from the house, and it had changed for the worst.  
  
I'm here without you baby  
but you're still on my lonely mind  
  
I think about you baby  
and I dream about you all the time  
  
I'm here without you baby  
but you're still with me in my dreams  
  
And tonight it's only you and me  
  
...everything is just wrong now a day. When is he ever going to get over himself? I really hope it's soon because I certainly won't go crawling through the city looking for that bastard who won't even stop by to see his children! Why, I wouldn't even be surprised if he was lying somewhere dead in a ditch. By now he's probably beside himself worrying of...  
  
"Mrs. Briefs?"  
  
"WHA..." Bulma Briefs, President and CEO of Capsule Corporation gasped jumping in her chair and looking around the table where she sat at the head. Her co-workers and CEOs from other competing businesses sat around looking at her thinking...who knows what! The man who had spoken was giving a presentation about the company's newest project. "Umm yes, sorry I must have zoned out there. He he...what were you saying?"  
  
"Mrs. Briefs are you alright? You seem to be doing that a lot lately."  
  
"Yes! I'm perfectly fine. Now, if you will please continue I'm listening."  
  
As he started up again Bulma found herself lost in thought. Luckily the press hadn't found out about her and her mysterious husband's parting yet, but it was only a matter of time before someone in the repair department noticed that the bills were unusually low. Vegeta would always ruin a different gravity machine at least twice a month and people were bound to notice if he didn't.  
  
That man had yet to return and she was seriously considering going to see him but if she waited her would surely come to her, in one way of another. Maybe she'll should just see Goku and find out if Vegeta is having second thoughts as well. She had to see him if he was suffering half as much as she. It wouldn't be easy asking to get involved in her mate and hers problems but Bulma couldn't see any other way! Goku had a knack for making things go right again.  
  
The miles just keep rolling  
as the people leave and wave to say hello  
  
I've heard this life is overrated  
but I hope that it gets better as we go  
  
I'm here without you baby  
but you're still on my lonely mind  
  
I think about you baby  
and I dream about you all the time  
  
I'm here without you baby  
but you're still with me in my dreams  
  
And tonight girl it's only you and me  
  
Many miles to the south of the city a large crater-gouged desert could be seen. On a ridged rock high in the air, over looking these beautiful sites sat two men of the same race. Both had deep black hair and impressively muscular builds but they were not the same. Son Goku sat cross-legged with an abnormally large lunch box perched on his lap. One would wonder how in the world he was able to fit so much food into that one lunch box, but not everyone knew that ill tempered his wife, Son Chi chi, was an expert in the culinary arts (hehe now I feel smart). Goku had a quiet soul, with a personality that always wanted to help people and being able to protect his family and friends from danger was the thing that kept him strong. Not to mention the fact that both these men had the blood of an ancient civilization running through their veins, and that was the reason for their fighting urges.  
  
"Kakkorot! Stop stuffing yourself like a pig! It's not becoming and those sounds are very annoying." The other man that was sitting on the ledge that day had no specially made lunch boxed from home.  
  
"Well I'm sorry Vegeta...but all this sparring...gets me...hungry" The younger Saiyan exclaimed in between bites of a large tuna sandwich. "I'm almost done!...Are you are you don't want anything?"  
  
The shorter man was busy staring out into the distance, the south to be specific. The Saiyan Prince Vegeta had never had a very nice or normal life but in the past years he had come to cherish his newly found happiness and family on the planet Earth.  
  
As the man stared into his surrounding territory that had been his home for the past few months he began to realize that his worst enemy had been the only one that he could turn to in his time of need. Goku had become a friend the day that they had beaten Majin Buu together and even though they acted like enemies in most public situations and friendly estranged brothers during spars Vegeta absolutely refused call a man who was stronger than him a cherished friend.  
  
"Hey Vegeta," He heard his name being called next to him. He turned to see Goku with that look in his eyes again. The one that said I want to talk about something but and try and help you at the same time. Goku was all about helping people.  
  
"Oh no, Kakkorot! Not this again. I've told you everyday, I don't want to talk about it and no I'm not going back yet!"  
  
Goku sighed. Vegeta knew that he thought that he was just being incredibly stubborn but he wasn't going to be pushed into going back. Especially before Bulma out to the desert and apologizes to him. Those little arguments had always been meaningless and healthy before she started talking about the influence they would have on their youngest child. Bulma thought that the fighting would be a bad example for Bra and Vegeta disagreed. Everything went downscale from there.  
  
"Come on, Vegeta!" Goku shouted trying to make him see sense. "Can't you see how stupid you're being! Everyone else sees it; you and Bulma really need to work things out before things get worse!"  
  
"Kakkorot," Vegeta winced hearing what he didn't want to hear. "I thought I told you never to say that women's name in front of me again."  
  
"You love Bulma, Bulma loves you and that's all there is to it! Now I don't know the whole story behind this little fight thing but you too need to get over your stupid pride and think about what would happen if your kids grew up without a father. Trunks needs a male influence at his age, and Bra needs a father as well. Plus if you leave Bra now then she'll never be taught about our Saiyan culture. She's the Princess of all Saiyans, right? Well you need to get over everything and talk to Bulma!"  
  
Vegeta glared at the younger man after his outburst but in return got an even worse one right back. Vegeta knew it was true that he and his wife both had too much pride for their own good, and that more than they were suffering from the split. The children did need him and he wouldn't stand for Bra to grow up without knowing a thing about her heritage.  
  
But the thing that struck him the most was the last part. And he totally agreed. He needed to step up and be a man if he ever wanted anyone to get over anything. Bulma wouldn't come to him she would have him come back to her, he wasn't sure if he could do that before but now he knew that he had to. He wanted it to end and it wouldn't unless he did something about it right then and there.  
  
"Kakkorot. I think you should leave now." Vegeta said sullenly; might as well have the fool think me angry it wouldn't be very good if he knew I had given in for something that he said.  
  
Goku nodded and gathered up his long forgotten sandwich. Before leaving he promised to return the next day just like always and then swiftly jumped into the sky and headed home to his own family.  
  
"Alright Kakkorot, you win!" Vegeta yelled into the empty sky. "I'm going back and I don't want to hear a word about this fight ever again."  
  
As he flew toward home, Capsule Corporation, he thought about what Bulma would say. And do for that matter. He also thought about something he hadn't before; what if Bulma didn't want him back? He had always assumed that she would take him back without hesitation, the way she did when he came home from training in space. But she was scared to be alone then, being a single mom was harder than she thought and she needed help. She probably wouldn't now. It was the first time that he realized that his face was entirely in her hands. He would either be home in his bed tonight or sleeping back in the desert where he would probably think of something else to do.  
  
He didn't know what to do if he didn't have his family. His life would no longer have meaning and he knew that he would probably end up going out into space again and trying to conquer the universe. He didn't want that to happen but that would be his only alternative if Bulma turned him down. And for one of the rare times in his life...he was scared.  
  
I'm here without you baby  
  
But you're still with me in my dreams  
  
And tonight girl, there's only you and me.  
Everything I know, and anywhere I go  
  
It gets hard but it won't take away my love  
And when the last one falls, when it's all  
said and done.  
  
It gets hard but it won't take away my love  
I'm here without you baby  
  
But you're still on my lonely mind  
I think about you baby and I dream  
about you all the time  
I'm here without you baby  
  
But you're still with me in my dreams  
  
And tonight girl, there's only you and me  
  
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HI!!! What'd you think?? Come on don't be shy...tell me, Review!!!  
Till next time my friends ^_^ Oh yeah...and let's see here! I'm thinking off the top of my head but right now my favorite DBZ stories (B&V) are Not Majin or a Splitting Headache, Business and Pleasure, Let's Get 2gether, All About Us, and other things I can't really remember but I just want you to know...that if I have reviewed your story...even if it was only once I probably have you on author alert and am waiting for an update on your current story ^_^ Oh yeah, and hopfully the next chapter will be the last chapter. 


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